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Woman uses bikes to help rebuild health and lives

Wednesday, April 28, 2010 4:06 AM

Shantelle Pierce shows off the bicycles bought with money she raised for members of Alternative Horizon’s Multilingual Support Group. The women, survivors of domestic violence, will be able to use their bicycles both for transportation and for fitness.

Courtesy of Darlene Clayton

Woman uses bikes to help rebuild health and lives

Shantelle Pierce shows off the bicycles bought with money she raised for members of Alternative Horizon’s Multilingual Support Group. The women, survivors of domestic violence, will be able to use their bicycles both for transportation and for fitness.

Courtesy of Darlene Clayton

Ann Butler

Imagine having a lifetime spent in fear of violence, being diminished mentally and physically by the people who are supposed to love you the most. And then escaping, gathering your courage up in both hands, packing up your children, determined to build a better life.

In Durango, two organizations, Alternative Horizons and the Volunteers of America Southwest Safehouse, give a hand up in the effort. And one New Mexico woman is helping them do it.

Shantelle Pierce, who has been through her own experiences with abuse in her life, says biking helped her recover and become strong. While training and racing on bicycles, she reached a level where she was involved in the U.S. Women's Cycling Development Program, being mentored by the program's founder, Michael Engleman.

When a couple of dramatic crashes threatened her physical-therapy career, Pierce dropped out. But one sleepless night, as she was thinking about all Engleman had done for her, she realized no one else had ever done nice things for her before, and how much it had meant. So she decided to give something back, to help other women going through domestic violence.

Because cycling had worked so well for her, she decided to see if it could help others. Based on what happened April 15, I think the answer is absolutely." Pierce donated 10 adult bicycles and three for children, along with helmets, to members of Alter

native Horizons' Multilingual Support Group. Darlene Clayton, who works with the group, said the timing was perfect because the group's members had been talking about the need to get in shape and looking for modes of transportation, and Pierce's donation does both.

Roseann Kutzleb, executive director of AH, said the excitement of the bicycle recipients was beautiful to see, and the joy has not diminished since the presentation.

Pierce saved the money to buy the bikes and helmets and got a special deal from Cottonwood Bicycles in Farmington, where she has her practice. (She lives in Aztec and rides with the Durango Wheel Club, so she considers all three communities home.)

Pierce has a couple of new bicycle-related projects she's working on now. One is to create a stable" of bikes at the Southwest Safehouse and the battered women's shelter in Farmington for residents' use. The second, working with Trails 2000, is to build a bike path near the Farmington shelter for women and children to use.

She's looking for help to get the bicycles for the safehouse. Mountain Bike Specialists has agreed to be the collection point for bicycle and helmet donations - bicycles should be in good shape. The bicycles will stay at the safehouse, and then she hopes to get some extra bikes if someone shows a special interest and would like to take one with them when she begins her new life.

Pierce is mostly focused on the physical benefits of bicycling and the mobility they give as a form of transportation. I think she underestimates how much it means when someone - someone you don't even know - cares enough to make this kind of effort for you. This is a great idea that shows what one person can do. I hope those of you who have a nice bicycle you no longer use - and I'm not necessarily talking about some specialized titanium-frame bike here - will drop it by Mountain Bike Specialists.

Congratulations to the Durango High School Student Council, which has been named a Gold Council of Excellence by the National Association of Student Councils. The DHS Student Council joined the national group three years ago, and this was its first shot at applying for a designation.

A Gold Council of Excellence is the highest level a student council can receive. The DHS council is one of just 131 student councils in the country to be so honored. There are more than 3,000 student councils in the NASC.

Keaton Whitcomb, executive student body co-president with Sophia Johnson, tells me students had to meet a number of requirements and standards. Before submitting their application, they presented it to DHS PrincipalDiane Lashinsky, other administration, faculty and some school board members.

These students are organizing events all year long, including graduation, prom, homecoming week (pep assembly, macho man/powder puff competitions and king/queen voting), to name just a few. They put on a monthly leadership-speaker series and dances. And student council members spearhead a number of community-service projects, including a canned-food drive, caroling and serving Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners at the Durango/La Plata Senior Center next door.

In addition to working with their fellow students, student council members represent them with the administration and school board on a number of issues, including the recent Strategic Plan. While doing all these activities, many student council members are athletes or thespians or involved in other school activities. Their energy and commitment is inspiring.

All members of the DHS Student Council deserve to be recognized. Elena Breed, student body vice president, andLyda Phillips, executive student body secretary-treasurer, form the rest of the student body leadership. Senior class members include President Kelcie Scott, Vice President Kelsey McLean, Secretary-TreasurerKatie Pritchard, senior member Sloane Phillips and Director of Clubs and Activities ChaseCushing.

Junior class representatives include President Jenna Mulligan, Vice President Julia Nass, Secretary-Treasurer Melanie Taylor, junior member Madeline Tovar, School-Spirit Coordinator Dylan Schwantes, Director of the Advisory Council Alex Max and Commissioner of Good Will Jessica Hamby. (Now there's a good title!) Sophomores on the council are Hayden Siekman, president; Kelsy Tune, vice president; Sienna Moller, secretary-treasurer; Commissioner of Community Relations Zoe Schultz; and sophomore member Koby McInnis. The freshmen are represented by President Nick Hamlin, Vice PresidentBrenna Christensen, Secretary-Treasurer McKenna Franzen, and freshmen members Garrett Ball andHaleigh Lyon.

Congratulations also go to DHS Student Council faculty adviser Dale Garland, who has spent uncounted hours with student council members over the years.

Attendance was up - 226 this year - 50 guests more than last year. That's an encouraging sign the economy is recovering.

Guests first enjoyed a fine meal at one of three participating restaurants. The Red Snapper and owners JohnSheehan and Nancy Rowley offered a choice of prime rib, ahi tuna, salmon, surf and turf or pork tenderloin as entrées, along with its wonderful salad bar. Dessert was a scrumptious homemade New York-style cheesecake with raspberry sauce.

At Season's Rotisserie and Grill, owners Wayne and Karen Barger gave guests a dinner that began with a choice of the iceberg-wedge or Caesar salad, followed by a selection from a list that included spit-roasted free-range chicken, a warm asparagus-and-artichoke tart or a grilled James Ranch flat-iron steak. For dessert, it was Seasons' famous tiramisu or fresh berry shortcake.

At Mahogany Grille, where I had the fortune to dine, Rod and Laurie Barker had designed a menu that started with a choice of hearts-of-palm salad, wild-berry and sweet-chili scampi or tomato bisque before selecting from the grill's famous pepper steak Herbert, maple-and-rosemary-Amish chicken or mustard-rubbed red snapper. Dessert was a triple-chocolate mousse with raspberry anglaise.

Then it was into the Henry Strater Theatre, where both an extravaganza of a silent auction and a varied live auction were taking place. Once again, Calvin and Pat Story of Treasure Auction donated their services for the live auction. Perhaps the liveliest bidding took place for the townhouse in Hawaii and a trip to Al and Carol Harper's Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Two students who are attending FLC on scholarships put a face on what the evening was all about. Iris Frye is attending on the Ina Welsh Cook Martin scholarship, and Dan Cammack is the recipient of both theDonWhalen and the Vectra Bank scholarships.

All told, the event raised about $40,000, which will help a lot of students pursue their dreams of a college education.

April showers may usher in the anniversaries of Bob and Shannon Kunkel, Jim and Jane Marentette, Bill and Tamara Volz, Don and Arlene Ingle, Russ and Pam Turpin and Stan and Alice Crapo.

For information about upcoming events and fundraisers, check Local Briefs.

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